Mine case and instrument mounting system



1963. c. c. voG'r ETAL 3,101,388

MINE CASE AND INSTRUMENT MOUNTING SYSTEM o i i al Filed Feb. 6, 1953 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIGJ.

INVENTORS. CHARLES C. VOGT HOWARD W. SEMON Aug. 20, 1963 c. c. VOGT ETAL 3,101,388

MINE CASE AND INSTRUMENT MOUNTING SYSTEM Original Filed Feb. e, 1955 Elf INVENTORS. CHARLES C. VOGT BY HOWARD W. SEMON AT TYS 2 Sheets-Sheet United States Patent I 3,101,388 MlNE CASE AND INSTRUMENT MOUNTING l SYSTEM CharlesC,5Vogt, Bethesrla, and Howard W. Semen, Silver Spring,'Md., assignors to the United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy Original. application Feb. 6, 1953, Ser. No. 335,614, now Patent No. 2,947,249,, 'datedAng. 2, 1960. Divided and this application Feb. 29, 1960, Ser. No. 11,933

3 Claims. (Cl. 174-59) (Granted under Title 35, US. Code (1952), see. 266) The inventiondescribed herein may be manufactured and used by or for the Government of the United States This invention relates to an instrument mounting rack and more particularly to a rackwhich is adapted to house the various electrical components which are employed in the firing circuit of a mine.

T his-application is a division of our copend-ing application, Serial No. 335,614, filed February 6, 1953, now matured into US. Patent No. 2,947,249.

It is apparent that there are various components in a mine which are utilized in firing and sterilizing the mine.

,' These components include magnetic, pressure, and acoustic firing mechanisms, arming and sterilizing switches,

. actuation counters and batteries. Heretofore, these various components have been individually assembled within the. mine casing and it has frequently been necessary to alter the interior design of the mine casing itself when varying the combination of components used. This sysand shape so that they may be readily substituted to build up different combinations of actuating mechanisms in the I mine.

This has been accomplished by the device herein disclosed wherein there is provided a rack having a portion thereof adapted to mount certain of the firing components of the mine and :an additional space to be employed for housing thebatteries used in the firing circuit of the mine. The units employed are of uniform dimensions so thatthey may be readily substituted whereby, for example, amine designed for acoustic actuation may be easily assembled; in place of a mine designed for magnetic ac- 1 t-uation. In this manner a means is provided for assembling the electrical components a: a mine firing; system which is readily adapted for any operational requirement and which can be easily assembled and tested. An object of this invention is to provide a rack for mounting the various electrical components of a mine.

A further object of this invention is to provide a-rack for housing the electrical components of a mine in which the components may be assembled in any desired combination Without the necessity foremploying special mounting means for the various components.

An additional object of this invention is to provide a housing for the components of a mine firing circuit which is independent of the mine casing whereby the electrical circuit may be easily tested before assembling the housing Within the mine casing.

Otherob-jects and many of the attendant advantages of this invention will be readily appreciated as" the same becomes better understood by reference to the following Patented Aug. 20, 1963 detailed description when considered in connection with" rack is disclosed an embodiment of the present invention in which the individual components are not separately mounted on the rack but are held therein bymeans of retaining walls.

There is provided an upper compartment 13 and a lower compartment '14 each of which is composed of a top and bottom section suitably secured together. The upper compartment is composed of side plates 16 and 17 which are provided with flanges 18 and 19 respectively. A channel-shaped cover member 21 is secured to the side plates as by bolts 22. The top cornpartment is additionally provided with anend plate 23 as shown and a similar end plate is provided on' the opposite end of this compartment. These end platesare suit-ably welded to the side plates 16 and 17. There is provided a bottom plate 24 (FIG. 2)' which is provided with flanges 26 and 27 which are aligned with theflanges 18 and 19 respectively and apertures are provided in these flanges for the reception of bolts 28 which secure the top and bottom plates together. A

The bottom compartment 14 is provided with a top plate 29 having flanges 31 and 32. The bottom plate 33 of this compartment has flanges 34 and 35 in alignment with flanges 31 and 32 respectively. Registering apertures are provided in these flanges for the reception of bolts 36. The lower compartment is provided with an end plate 3'7 suitably welded to the bottom plate, the other end of the compartment having a similar end plate. There is further provided on the ends of the compartments a member 38 having projections 39 which are in alignment with the flanges of the top and bottom compar'tments. These projections are welded to the flanges 26, 2'7, 31 and 32 so that the entire assembly is rigid.

It can be seen that the securing flanges of the upper and lower compartments form channels therebetween and within these channels are welded mounting brackets 41 and 42. In FIG. 3 there is shown the tail end of a casing 43 of a mine. Within this end section there is provided mounting bars 44 and 45 which are suitably secured to the mine casing. Suitably welded between the outer ends of these bars is a mounting plate 46 having bolts 47 thereon. The channel between the flanges on one side of the rack fits-over bars 44- and 45, bolts 47 engaging apertures in mounting plate 41 and the apertures in plate 42 engage boil-ts 48 on plate 49 which is mounted between bars 51 and 52 whereby the entire assembly is rigidly held Within the mine casing.

Within the upper compartmentlS of the instrument housing are located various components such as shown at 53 and 54 having jacks 55 for electrical connection. It can be seen that the channel cover member 21 provides a space within which the wiring'm-ay be located. The lower compartment houses the batteries for the firing circuit of a mine. It can be seen that by construction a means is provided whereby the various firing components of a mine may be readily varied to suit any desired operational requirement.

Obviously many modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in the light of the above teachings. It is therefore to be understood that Within 7 the scope of the appended claims the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described.

What is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. In combination with a mine casing having means for. removeably securing an instrument housing, said instrument housing having an upper compartment and a lower compartment for housing electrical components,

each of said compartment-s having top and bottom portions, an end plate secured at each end of the top portion of said upper compartment, and an end plate secured at each end to the bottom portion of said lower compartment, fastening means removeably securing said housing to said mine casing, said top portion of said upper compartment being provided with electrical terminals therein, and a channel shaped member being removeably secured to the top of the upper compartment over said electrical terminals whereby a passage for connections to the, electrical components is provided.

2. In combination with a mine casing having means for removeabl-y securing an instrument rack for electrical components, said instrument rack comprising an upper compartment having flanged upper and lower portions, the flanges of the upper and lower portion of said upper chamber being removeab ly secured together, a lower compartment having flanged upper and lower port-ions, the flangesof the upper and lower portions of said lower compartment being removeably secured-together, means securingthe lower portion of said upper compartment to the-upper portion of said lower compartment, fastening means mounted between said flanges renioveably beaten- 7 ing said rack to said casing, the top portion of said upper compartment being provided with electrical terminals therein, and means providing a channel on top of said rack for the. passage of electrical connectors whereby said electrical components may be connected to external circuits.

3. In combination with a mine casing having means for rernoveably securing an instrument rack therein, said instrument rack comprising an upper compartment and a lower compartment, each of said compartments having an upper flanged portion and a lower flanged portion removeably secured together, means securing. the top portion of said lower compartment to the lower portion of said upper compartment whereby said rack is made into an integral uni-t, electrical components disposed within said rack, mounting means in said rack removeably fastening said instrument rack to said mine casing, and means forming a channel on the top portion of said upper compartment for providing a passage for electrical conductors, and terminal means on the top portion of said upper compartment for connecting said electricalcon-ductors to electrical components dis-posed within said instrument rack.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,325,965 Thomas Dec. 23, 1919 2,196,399 Rubel Apr. 9, 1940 2,411,528 Dcding-ton Nov. 26,1946 2,486,764 Singer Nov. 1, 1949 2,540,884 Horvath Feb. 6, 1951 2,561,426 Steam et a1. July 24, 1951 3,011,440 Bradner Dec. 5, 1961 Q FOREIGN PATENTS 121,093 Australia Feb. 25, 1946 

1. IN COMBINATION WITH A MINE CASING HAVING MEANS FOR REMOVEABLY SECURING AN INSTRUMENT HOUSING, SAID INSTRUMENT HOUSING HAVING AN UPPER COMPARTMENT AND A LOWER COMPARTMENT FOR HOUSING ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS, EACH OF SAID COMPARTMENTS HAVING TOP AND BOTTOM PORTIONS, AN END PLATE SECURED AT EACH END OF THE TOP PORTION OF SAID UPPER COMPARTMENT, AND AN END PLATE SECURED AT END END TO THE BOTTOM PORTION OF SAID LOWER COMPARTMENT, FASTENING MEANS REMOVEABLY SECURING SAID HOUSING TO SAID MINE CASING, SAID TOP PORTION OF SAID UPPER COMPARTMENT BEING PROVIDED WITH ELECTRICAL TERMINALS THEREIN, AND A CHANNEL SHAPED MEMBER BEING REMOVEABLY SECURED TO THE TOP OF THE UPPER COMPARTMENT OVER SAID ELECTRICAL TERMINALS WHEREBY A PASSAGE FOR CONNECTIONS TO THE ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS IS PROVIDED. 